Underground
by riverflowertheimmortalwolf
Summary: Young Nightkit has been neglected, believed to be bad luck. Even his mother despises him. When a tunnel collapses on him, fate will depend on if he lives or dies. Challenge from CharlieClan. Rated T for Warriors.


Nightkit bowed his black head down to the crystal-clear pool, lapping up the fresh water.

"Nightkit!" a voice called harshly. Nightkit looked up, licking his long whiskers. "What?"

A black-and-white queen padded towards the little kit. "You shouldn't be so near the water edge. It's dangerous! Come back in the nursery with me!"

"But I was only taking a drink!" Nightkit protested. "Besides, this pool is shallow!"

"No excuses!" the she-cat growled, picking Nightkit up roughly by the scruff.

"Ow! That hurts, Mama!" Nightkit whimpered when his mother dragged him on the ground, banging him against a rock.

Once the queen was inside, she squeezed inside the small nursery with the black kit, dropping him onto their nest.

"Smallflower?" a cream-colored tabby queen looked up, who was also inside the den. "What are you doing in here with this runt?"

"It is staying in here, Willowshade," Nightkit's mother, Smallflower snapped. "Kestrelstar's orders."

"Just keep it away from my kits, okay?" Willowshade shot a contemptuous look at Nightkit. "You know a black kit means bad luck. It can't stay long in here. It'll infect my kits too." She wrapped her striped tail protectively around her three kits: Cloudkit, Marshkit, and Bearkit.

 _"You_ keep it away from your kits," Smallflower stalked stiffly out of the nursery. "I'm going to keep watch on Nightkit's older sister, Sunkit."

Willowshade turned to Nightkit. "If you even come close to my precious kits, I'll give you a scratch you'll never forget." Nightkit huddled miserably in the corner of the nursery by himself. _Why am I so neglected? Is it just because I'm black? To my Clan, black means unlucky, right?_ He remembered that day when he was just a week old.

* * *

 _"What is this!?" Kestrelstar looked down, aghast._

 _"It's a black kit," Smallflower growled._

 _"A_ black _kit?" Nightkit's father, Silverclaw gasped. "Is that why you had been hiding this kit from us until now?"_

 _"Yes," Smallflower replied. "You needed to be ready to see it. Although I wish I had never had this kit. I am ashamed that I ever have given life to this little beast."_

 _"A black kit means bad luck," Willowshade growled. "We should drop it in the river!"_

 _"No!" Kestrelstar hissed. "Despite this creature's bad luck, according to the warrior code, we do not murder our Clanmates!"_

 _"Or maybe we could abandon it?" Silverclaw suggested. "Basically, that means exile."_

 _"No, no," Kestrelstar shook his striped head. "We can't do that either. Abandoning the kit will kill it. It is helpless in the wild, and will soon perish to the hungry jaws of predators."_

 _"That's true," Silverclaw looked doubtful. "Then what should we do with this kit?"_

 _"You know what to do, right?" Smallflower looked up to her leader. All the other cats turned their attention to Kestrelstar, their eyes showing hopefulness. Kestrelstar narrowed his amber eyes, deep in thought._

 _Finally, he spoke. "I will not break the warrior code. Instead, I will wait until it can turn to a warrior. Instead, the day of its warrior ceremony will be the day of its exile. It will not earn its warrior name, because of its unworthiness. It might be able to survive on its own by then."_

 _"Good idea," Willowshade agreed. All the other cats meowed their agreement._

 _"Then it is decided," the leader declared. "Smallflower, have you decided a name for this kit?"_

 _Smallflower glared angrily at the meowing black bundle at her paws. "I have. I do not want to name it, but its name will be Nightkit from now on."_

* * *

"Nightkit!" Smallflower yelled. "It's time to eat!" Nightkit padded somberly out of the nursery, spotting his sister's golden pelt near the fresh-kill pile.

Smallflower dropped a measly quarter of a mouse at his black paws. "Here's your share."

Nightkit ate slowly, aware that there were many glares pinned on him from his Clanmates. After he ate, he went to the dirtplace. Nightkit stopped, looking to see if any cat was around. There were none. He dived in a bush nearby, and went out of camp. _I'll tell the other kits that I've gone outside of camp. Then I'll see how jealous they get!_

He spotted a tunnel. _Hey, this is great! I'll explore it._ Nightkit hopped inside the tunnel. Then he heard breathing.

"Sunkit?" Nightkit squeaked. "What are you doing in here?" Sunkit's bright pelt glowed in the dark.

"What do _you_ think I'm doing?" Sunkit glared. "You aren't supposed to be out here!"

"Neither are you!" Nightkit pointed out.

"It doesn't matter!" Sunkit snarled. "I don't care if you're my brother. Just get out!"

"But-" Nightkit stopped abruptly. His ebony ears picked up an eerie noise that was coming from...above.

"What is it?" Sunkit hissed, swiping at her brother.

Then Nightkit realized what was happening; the tunnel was collapsing!

"Run, Sunkit!" Nightkit gasped, shoving Sunkit out of the hole.

"What do you think you doing, mouseheart!?" Sunkit spat furiously as she tumbled out of the the tunnel. She suddenly froze when she saw the tunnel had collapsed, right where she had been...and Nightkit was still in there.

"Help!" Nightkit choked, soil filling his nostrils and mouth. He fought to stay alive. His lungs burned like fire and he felt like he was being squashed like a bug.

Then suddenly, calmness swept over him. _What if I was meant to die? Perhaps this was my fate all along._ Nightkit breathed out his last breath, his mind drifting away as he prepared to die.

Nightkit woke up in a starry place, blinking. _Where am I?_

"Welcome, young one," a white she-cat appeared before Nightkit's eyes. "I am Frozenstar, previous leader of your Clan."

"Am I...am I dead?" Nightkit asked.

"Yes," Frozenstar lowered her warm gaze, level with Nightkit's. "Poor kit. You have suffered so much, because of who you are. But I will give you a second life, one full of happiness and acceptance. Lives are usually only for leaders, but this will be an exception."

"A second life?" Nightkit echoed.

"Yes, little one," Frozenstar murmured. "Our time is short. It is time for you to go." She touched her nose to Nightkit's. Nightkit jerked, and a blinding flash of light swept over his eyes.

"Nightkit? Nightkit!" a voice shouted. It sounded hazy at first, but then grew more and more persistent as Nightkit began to wake.

Nightkit coughed up dirt, the horrible taste washing over his tongue. He opened up his eyes to see Smallflower bending over him, worry in her eyes. He had not seen her like this before.

"Nightkit! You're awake!" Smallflower purred, her tongue rasping over his dirt-clogged fur. "Are you okay?"

Cats surrounded him. Nightkit blinked up at them in confusion. He managed to croak, "Why did you dig me out?"

"You saved Sunkit!" Smallflower meowed happily. The other cats chorused in agreement.

"Why did you save me?" Sunkit asked Nightkit. "After all I've done to you..."

"It's just because you're my Clanmate," Nightkit answered. He looked around to see respect glowing in his Clanmates' eyes.

"To do such a great deed, I proclaim you a full member of this Clan!" Kestrelstar announced. "You have earned our respect, Nightkit. Therefore we will no longer reject you."

Willowshade gave a nod of acknowledgement to the black cat. "You have done well, young one."

Nightkit let out a meow of happiness. _Thank you, Frozenstar. You_ have _given me a new life of happiness and acceptance._


End file.
